Blake Lively v *Brooklyn Decker (*L/W Title) Result: Lookout; Fight: simgrrl
Lively: 29yo, 127#, 5'10” (16-20-0 w/13 KOs) vs. Decker: 29yo, 125#, 5'9”, (26-9-0 w/15 KOs)

Decker the “big” girl in this lightweight title contest by every measure but height - where Lively edges her out by only one inch! The same age, they're also close in both height and weight. Only their won-loss records are different....near mirror opposites, in fact! Decker has a huge 'success advantage' winning 74% of her fights compared to 44% for Lively.

Surprisingly, however, KO percentage favors Blake Lively by a whopping 81% to 58%.

Head-to-head comparison against some common opponents....
Yustman: Decker won LW title by 1pt decision, 2016; Lively lost (KO8, 2015).
Theron: Lively won (TKO3 in 2010); Decker lost (TKO7 in 2011).
Swan: & Lively split TKO's in 2010 while Decker lost to Swan (KO6, 2010).
Lima: Both lost, (Lively by decision, Decker by TKO4).
Helfer: Both lost in 2012 (Lively-KO7; Decker-TKO2); Decker won Jan. '16 by KO6.
Refaeli: Lively won (UD, 2011); Decker lost (TKO2, 2010); & Decker won (UD, 2014).
Arterton: Lively lost twice by UDs; Decker lost once by TKO10.

Analysts feel Decker fought higher quality opponents in recent fights, but whether that's significant is to be determined!

“Lively's done surprisingly well in those Ice Hotel and JMD fights,” Decker says, acknowledging her opponents recent high visibility wins. “But those're niche contests and plenty of women have found to their dismay that skill set doesn't transfer over to 'real' boxing. Still, anyone who's stopped, or just gone the distance, with Upton isn't to be taken lightly. And I certainly won't.”

Blake well aware of the daunting task ahead. “Brooklyn hasn't lost since 2014 and she's on an 8-0 run. I worked out with Charlize and Cat to prepare; both of whom fought Decker. They, and Jeri, have done all they could to prepare me.... but from the videos of her recent fights, Deck's not the same insecure, soft-bodied, blonde as when they fought her four or five years ago. She looks tighter, stronger, and is surely more confident off her recent success. I just have to hope my fights against the likes of Yustman, Upton and Atkinson prepared me to face Decker's 'big body' approach.”

Decker with a messy pony tail, black hipster bikini, black gloves and shoes; Lively in a 'Theron model' green bikini with long blonde hair in a French braid; white gloves and matching shoes.
* * * *
During R1: Decker working behind her dominant jab dictates the early pace. Lively - taking from Yustman and Helfer's playbook - all leggy; dipping and ducking, stepping in and backing out, picking her spots to throw; not giving the champ a stationary target she can tee off on. When Decker throws the right you can see the shock-waves ripple thru Lively's lithe body. Blake needing two or three shots to do the same kind of damage, but her nimble feet and quick hands keep her from harm and allow her to battle the buxom blonde champion on even terms thru much of the round. In the end, it's Decker pocketing the points for what was a close-fought, competitive, round!

R2: Decker continues to push the pace aggressively; Lively fighting well backing up, not giving Brooklyn a clean look at her head. Decker reaching in to get at Blake's body, taking glancing blows to the head as she extends on her punches but neither fighter appears hurt by any of the exchanges. Midway, Decker up-tempos as she goes to Lively's midsection with several combinations. BLONDE GIRL DOWN! Blake catches the champ flush on the jaw with the same kind of straight right that Odette Yustman dropped her with in their title fight! Decker knocked to her knees, sits back on her haunches shaking her head as Lively bounces away. Champion up at seven, gets a few more seconds as the referee wipes her gloves, then Blake Lively swarms back in! Decker shaky, tying Lively up; clinching high as Blake goes to the body with both fists. Decker being gutted by Lively's furious body attack, hanging on as she's driven back onto the ropes. Decker struggling, being overwhelmed by the ferocity of Lively's non-stop body punching. At the bell, Decker sways unsteadily as Lively spins away and jogs back to her corner where Theron and Ryan greet her with hugs as Lively takes round two (wide).

R3: Decker off her stool standing before the bell but its Lively who sprints across the ring to initiate. Blake showing unexpected aggression early in the round, attacking Decker's body with the left hook, tossing that right hand whenever Brooklyn's left drops even a little. Brooklyn having trouble getting going as she's put back on her heels from the bell and never seems to be able to get into a rhythm; being kept under Lively's unrelenting bombardment of leather for the full three minutes. At the bell, the round is all Blake Lively, all the time and she wins it (wide) without a knockdown.

R4: Between rounds, Decker's corner gets her together and she has her best first minute since the opening round! Lively looking a bit arm-weary and Decker's left jab is back to normal once again; beating Lively to the punch time and again! Midway in the round, a combination (hard left hook to the ribs-right cross high on the head) appears to hurt Lively who backs off. Decker pursues and for the final minute she has Lively trapped on the ropes, working that long, lean, torso with thunderous lefts and rights. Lively rocking side-to-side, swaying or clinching, doing her utmost to muffle the champ's offense. As the clock runs out, it's Decker's most dominant sustained attack of the fight so far and more than enough to win her the round (wide) as she evens the score at two rounds apiece!

R5: Decker continues from where she left off in round four, on the attack with Lively forced to give ground time and again whenever she tries to make a stand. With Lively finding it harder and harder to create room between them, Decker has an easier time getting to her body and she takes advantage to work the flanks with hooks and crosses and lands thumping rights to begin breaking down Lively's taut abs. So far, the champ has pretty much ignored Lively's head, instead she's invested her capital “downtown” in the midsection of Lively's body. But in the closing minute, with Blake showing signs of breaking down, Decker goes for the home run! LIVELY'S DOWN! A huge overhand left hook buckles Lively's knees, then a straight right sends her sprawling on her back at the ropes. Lively tries to get up, but her head and left shoulder are under the bottom strand and she can't get up....then the bell saves Blake from a KO with the count at seven as Decker easily takes the round (wide)

R6: Lively's seconds frantically work on her during the break and although she's awake for the bell, she's not looking great. As soon as the bell rings, Lively gets on her bicycle (although in her condition, it is more like a unicycle) and retreats behind a 'don't hurt me' pawing left jab; throwing an occasional right just to give Decker pause before resuming her back peddle. Fans boo Lively's tactics and Decker is obviously frustrated by Lively's refusal to 'stand and fight'; instead loping around the perimeter of the ring leaving Decker to chase her futilely. Finally, the champ manages to corner Lively in the closing seconds and each fighter lands several hard punches - but the bell rings before either can do damage to the other but the champ, Brooklyn Decker, takes another round.

R7: Having averted a disaster, and avoided being pummeled, the previous round, Blake Lively comes out prepared to re-engage (to the delight of the fans). Decker caught off-guard when Lively jumps into a right hand lead that snaps her head back. The challenger follows with a hard left hook and only Decker's last-second head turn allows her to slip Lively's follow-up right! They trade at distance, neither landing a telling blow, but both connecting with several right hands before a left hook to the body hurts Lively and forces her to back up. Decker pursuing aggressively, leans into another left hook... SHE'S HURT....but this time the challenger drops her own right hand over Brookie's left in a repeat of the same right cross that put Decker on her knees in the second round! This time, Decker manages to wrap Lively in a bearhug and stay upright, but with her cheek on Blake's left shoulder, her body is vulnerable and Lively goes to town with both fists, pounding the meaty middle of Decker's body! Final thirty seconds of the round are agony for both Decker and her fans as Lively bludgeons her body, then turns into a hard right to Brooklyn's left ear that has her hearing bells (in addition to the one that ends the round). This time, Blake Lively gets the points (wide)!

R8: Decker getting a stern 'talking to' in her corner between rounds and comes out with fire in her eye. Blake getting bull rushed from the bell, driven back onto the turnbuckle in her own corner where Decker sets up and pounds her body until the sultry blonde manages to spin them both around and then escape into the wide open spaces at center ring! Decker whirls around and pursues, intent on putting an end to the challenger once and for all. A left hook doubles Lively up, then an overhand right rocks her back on her heels. As the champ leans into another left hook Lively, for the third time tonight, drops a big right hand over Decker's left! Brooklyn's knees wobble as she staggers forward, her hands dropping. Lively's eyes widen at the sight as she sets her feet and DRILLS a straight right into the side of the champions exposed jawline! Brooklyn Decker plows forward, cratering into the canvas facefirst on her chest and belly; her arms beneath her.
As Lively leaps away with her arms raised, Decker lifts her head and her mouthpiece dribbles from her lips as she gives a low, mewling, groan. Her gloved hands paw at the canvas as she struggles to rise, then topples over onto her right side; her unfocused eyes blinking in the harsh, bright, overhead lights as she becomes vaguely aware of a droning sound in her ears..... “SIX........SEVEN.....EIGHT....”
Her long, strong, legs rise and fall as her feet are unable to find purchase..... “..... NINE.....”
Brooklyn's head drops back down and she closes her eyes......
* * * *
“The winner by KO8 and your NEW lightweight champion, Blaaaaaaaake Liveleeeeeeeeeeee!”

After:
Lively shedding her gloves, saunters over to check on a dejected Brooklyn Decker as she's being brought around on her stool. Blake leans in and with a hand on her shoulder talks to her cheek-to-cheek for a minute before she returns to her corner where an ecstatic Theron and a rosy cheeked Ryan buckle the FCBA Lightweight Championship belt around her slender waist. Blake makes the obligatory pageant strut around the ring, waving to the crowd.
As she passes Decker's corner, Lively can't resist a quick glance down at the dejected former champion's entourage (all of whom appear glum at the shocking and unexpectedly sudden end to their girl's title reign).

Later, in the media conference, Lively - her face looking unmarked - is, not surisingly, upbeat and positive. “First, I really want to thank Brooklyn and Front Street for giving me an opportunity to fight for the title. We didn't ask for the fight, they initiated the conversation and Ginny and Charlize both said I'd be a fool not to take them up on it. You don't get that many chances to win a title, so when one comes around you have to go for it.”

In response to a question, Lively acknowledged that her surprise win was a close run thing. “If the fifth round had been four or five seconds longer, she'd still be the champion. There's no way was getting untangled from under the ropes before the ten-count,” she admitted. Then she admitted, “My only choice was to keep away from her as much as possible the sixth until I got my head right. If she'd have been able to catch me then, it would have been all over. I guess all that hard work they put me through preparing for this opportunity paid off in spades!”

Lively was non-committal about her future plans, other than to reveal that she has another JMD(D) bout in a couple of weeks with Michelle Marsh from Great Britain. “It's something we agreed to long before this title fight was offered. I wasn't sure if I should go ahead with it, but since I came out of this more or less intact, I'm going to keep that commitment.”

Decker looking about as unhappy as you would expect an ex-champion to look...and that's not even counting the lumps, bumps and bruises on her face left by Lively's fists in that latter rounds! She appears holding a cold pack to the left side of her jaw, but lays it on the podium while speaking.

“Well, I didn't take her lightly - write that down and underline it, please,” she began. “I thought, there in the fifth round, the fight was over. I hit her about as good as I could and she was NOT getting up, but I just didn't hit her early enough, apparently.” She grimaced slightly as she gave a snorting laugh. “I just couldn't catch up to her early in the sixth.... maybe lost my concentration a bit, I dunno. We'll study the tapes and figure it out for the next time. And I'm sure there'll be a next time,” she added.

“Blake and me are both still in our prime,” Decker said with an edge to her tone. “We'll do this dance again...maybe more than once.” Then she added with a meaningful glare at the door to the locker room, “And next time, she'll be on her back long before the bell ending a round, you can take that to the bank!” With that, she stalked angrily off the stage holding the cold pack to her jaw.